December 23, 1972

The Daily Diary files represent a consolidated record of the President's activities. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

• Original typewritten diary (PDF)

The President's day began at Key Biscayne, Florida

The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents made available transcripts of the President's news conferences; messages to Congress; public speeches, remarks, and statements; and other Presidential materials released by the White House.

Digitized versions can be found at HathiTrust.

The Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other Presidential documents.

• Federal Register of Saturday, December 23, 1972

The H. R. Haldeman Diaries consists of seven handwritten diaries, 36 dictated diaries recorded as sound recordings, and two handwritten audio cassette tape subject logs. The diaries and logs reflect H. R. Haldeman’s candid personal record and reflections on events, issues, and people encountered during his service in the Nixon White House. As administrative assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, Haldeman attended and participated in public events and private meetings covering the entire scope of issues in which the Nixon White House engaged in during the years 1969-1973. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

• Transcript of diary entry (PDF)
• Original audio recording (MP3)

The National Archives Catalog is the online portal to the records held at the National Archives, and information about those records. It is the main way of describing our holdings and also provides access to electronic records and digitized versions of our holdings. 

The Catalog searches across multiple National Archives resources at once, including archival descriptions, digitized and electronic records, authority records, and web pages from Archives.gov and the Presidential Libraries. The Catalog also allows users to contribute to digitized historical records through tagging and transcription.

Nixon Library Holdings

• Text search for December 23, 1972
• Date search for December 23, 1972

All National Archives Units

• Text search for December 23, 1972
• Date search for December 23, 1972

The President's Daily Brief is the primary vehicle for summarizing the day-to-day sensitive intelligence and analysis, as well as late-breaking reports, for the White House on current and future national security issues. Read "The President's Daily Brief: Delivering Intelligence to Nixon and Ford" to learn more.

• President's Daily Brief of 23 December 1972

The Foreign Relations of the United States series presents the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity. Visit the State Department website for more information.

Vol. IX, Vietnam, October 1972-January 1973

The Christmas Bombings, December 14-29, 1972

• 218. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in South Vietnam and the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Gayler), Washington, December 23, 1972, 0042Z

  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 162, Vietnam Country Files, Vietnam, Dec 1972. Secret; Exdis. Drafted by J. Bengle (EA) and Colonel L. Doyle (JCS); cleared in EA, EA/VN, EA/LC, CIA, USIA, DOD/ISA, and S/S–O; and approved by Sullivan. Repeated to the U.S. Delegation in Paris, Phnom Penh, Vientiane, COMUSMACV, and CINCUSARPAC.

• 219. Backchannel Message From the Ambassador to Laos (Godley) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), Vientiane, December 23, 1972, 0608Z

  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 411, Backchannel Messages, 1972 Southeast Asia. Secret; Priority; Eyes Only.

• 220. Backchannel Message From the Ambassador to Vietnam (Bunker) to the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), Saigon, December 23, 1972, 0935Z

  Source: Library of Congress, Manuscript Division, Kissinger Papers, Box TS 45, Geopolitical File, Vietnam, Cables, Dec. 1972–Apr. 1975. Top Secret; Operational Immediate; Sensitive; Exclusively Eyes Only.

• 221. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between President Nixon and the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger), December 23, 1972, 12:50 p.m.

  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, Kissinger Telephone Conversations, Box 17, Chronological File. No classification marking. The President was in Key Biscayne; Kissinger was in Washington. All blank underscores are omissions in the original.

• 222. Message From the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Moorer) to the Commander in Chief, Pacific (Gayler) and the Commander in Chief, Strategic Air Command (Meyer), Washington, December 23, 1972, 2247Z

  Source: National Archives, RG 218, Records of the Chairman, Records of Thomas Moorer, Box 71, Linebacker II Messages, December 1972. Top Secret; Immediate; Specat; Exclusive. Repeated to Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet; Commander, Military Assistance Command, Vietnam; Commander, 7th Air Force; Commander, Seventh Fleet; and Commander, Carrier Task Force 77.

Vol. E-1, Documents on Global Issues, 1969-1972

Oceans Policy

• 444. Airgram A-12376 From the Department of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom, Washington, December 23, 1972, 0826Z

  The Department informed concerned posts of private consultations between the governments most interested in deep seabed exploitation.
  
  Source: National Archives, Central Files 1970-73, POL 33-8. Confidential. Drafted by Oxman on December 21; cleared with IO/UNP, EA/RA, EUR/CAN, EUR/GER, EUR/SOV, and L/OA; and approved by Stevenson. Also sent to Moscow, Paris, Tokyo, USUN, and Geneva. Repeated to Bonn. The enclosure entitled “Comparison and Analysis of Seabeds Regime and Machinery Proposals,” summarized and assessed ideas for organization and operation of an international deep seabed exploitation agency.

Vol. E-7, Documents on South Asia, 1969-1972

U.S. Relations with India and Pakistan, 1972

• 323. Memorandum From the President’s Assistant for National Security Affairs (Kissinger) to President Nixon, Washington, December 23, 1972

  Kissinger reviewed for the President the options relating to the question of renewing the flow of military supplies to Pakistan. Nixon approved a recommendation calling a “clean-up exercise” involving the release to Pakistan and India of military supplies that were caught in the embargo imposed during the crisis.
  
  Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 642, Country Files, Middle East, South Asia, Vol. IV. Secret. Sent for action. Drafted by Saunders and Hoskinson. Nixon initialed his approval of the recommendations. Kissinger then added a handwritten note for Saunders: “Hal–Do what is necessary.”

The Kissinger telephone conversation transcripts consist of approximately 20,000 pages of transcripts of Kissinger’s telephone conversations during his tenure as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (1969-1974) and Secretary of State (1973-1974) during the administration of President Richard Nixon. Visit the finding aid for more information.

Digitized versions can be found in the National Archives Catalog.

The White House Communications Agency Videotape Collection contains “off-the-air” recordings of televised programs produced between 1968 and 1974. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

• WHCA-5957
  "Thirty Minutes".
  CBS, NBC, ABC
  Runtime: 00:29:48
• WHCA-5958
  "Agronsky & Company".
  NPACT
  Runtime: 00:29:25
• WHCA-5976
  Weekly News Summary, Tape I.
  ALL NETWORKS
  Runtime: 1:30
  
  12. Utley/Delaney/Troute: Vietnam war, General Giap may be dead; information censorship in Saigon, Vietnam; heavy bombing. Time Code Start: 28:02. Keywords: Vietnam War, bombs, bombings. Network: NBC.
  
  13. Utley: Senators against bombing 2:1. Time Code Start: 31:50. Keywords: Vietnam War, bombings, Senate, voting, ceasefires. Network: NBC.
  
  14. Utley: Anti-war protest in Key Biscayne, Florida. Time Code Start: 32:20. Keywords: Presidents, residences, demonstrations, rally, protesters, demonstraters, demonstrators, Vietnam War, anti-war. Network: NBC.

• New York Times of December 23, 1972

• AP Images photos from December 23, 1972
• Getty Images photos from December 23, 1972

The Vanderbilt Television News Archive is the world's most extensive and complete archive of television news. They have been recording, preserving and providing access to television news broadcasts of the national networks since August 5, 1968.

• December 1972 Broadcast Index

Wikipedia is a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit.

• December 23, 1972